August - 2026 - Biography of any WW2 figure > Likes and Comments
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'Aussie Rick'
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Jul 29, 2026 05:25PM
The August theme read is any book or books of your choice that covers a biography of any WW2 figure.
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I'm thinking of reading this book for the theme read; "Panzer Baron: The Military Exploits of General Hasso von Manteuffel" by Donald Grey Brownlow.
Panzer Baron: The Military Exploits of General Hasso von Manteuffel by Donald Grey Brownlow
Here are the biographies of 3 World War II figures whose lives have long intrigued me. 1) Adolf Galland: The Authorised Biography by David Baker
Adolf Galland was one of the top-scoring Luftwaffe fighter aces during the early years of World War II. He was in 1942, at age 30, made the youngest lieutenant general in the German armed forces, and placed in charge of the Luftwaffe fighter arm (Jagdwaffe).
2) General Patton: A Soldier's Life – The Most Balanced Portrait of WWII's Brilliant and Complex Commander by Stanley P. Hirshson
My late father served in Patton's Third Army in Europe during 1944-1945, experiencing combat from Normandy to Czechoslovakia on V-E Day (May 8th, 1945).
3) Black Sheep One: The Life of Gregory "Pappy" Boyington by Bruce Gamble
Boyington was a prewar trained U.S. Marine fighter pilot and flight instructor who resigned his commission to serve with the American Volunteer Group (AVG - aka "The Flying Tigers") in China during 1941-1942.
Upon subsequent reinstatement into the U.S. Marine Corps as a Major, Boyington would lead and command in combat VMF-214 in the South Pacific, surviving the war as the U.S. Marine Corps' top fighter ace.
I nominate The Blood Red Sea.The biography of Ronald Burns, who served as a Royal Navy DEMS gunner aboard merchant ships during WWII.
For the August theme, I would like to suggest two firsthand accounts by figures of the Italian Resistance: Giovanni Pesce’s And no quarter: An Italian partisan in World War II; memoirs of Giovanni Pesce and Ada Gobetti’s Partisan Diary: A Woman's Life in the Italian Resistance
It is a real shame that only a relatively small selection of the many biographies, memoirs, and diaries of Italian partisans has been translated into English. There is an enormous amount of material available in Italian, while many English translations are old, out of print, or difficult to obtain.
This is quite surprising considering the important role the Resistance played during the war. These accounts are essential not only for understanding the partisans themselves, but also the complex history of Fascist Italy, German occupation, collaboration, civil war, and resistance.
Many English-language accounts understandably focus primarily on Nazi Germany and on the American and British experiences. However, this can leave Italian Fascism and the Italian Resistance in the background. The scarcity of translated Italian testimonies makes it harder for international readers to understand Fascism as an Italian political system that began in the early 1920s and evolved through dictatorship, colonial expansion, alliance with Nazi Germany, war, the regime’s collapse in 1943, and the establishment of the Italian Social Republic under German occupation.
Even Beppe Fenoglio’s Johnny the Partisan, a novel with strong autobiographical elements rather than a biography, is extremely difficult to obtain in English. I wanted to give it to an American friend, but could find only copies at prohibitive prices.
Tojo: The Rise and Fall of Japan's Most Controversial World War II GeneralThe military general who became Emperor Hirohito’s prime minister, Hideki Tojo is most often remembered as an iron-fisted leader who dragged Japan into World War II and―after spectacular losses―was eventually executed as a war criminal. Yet Tojo was far more than his ignominious end. In fact, as Peter Mauch argues, he was one of the twentieth century’s most accomplished military statesmen.
I would also like to suggest Antonio Scurati’s M: Son of the Century, provided that historical novels based closely on documented events are acceptable for the theme.
It is not a conventional biography, but the first volume of Scurati’s extensively researched series on Benito Mussolini and Italian Fascism. The book covers the period from 1919 to 1925, portraying Mussolini’s rise and the transformation of the Fascist movement into a dictatorship. Although it ends well before the Second World War, Mussolini was obviously one of the central figures of the conflict, and the book provides essential background for understanding how Fascism developed and how Italy eventually entered the war.
Among the figures portrayed in the book is Italo Balbo, one of the principal architects and organisers of Fascist squad violence in Ferrara and across the Po Valley, well before the better-known March on Rome. His central role in the systematic intimidation, assault and destruction of political opposition is too often obscured by his later fame as an aviator and transatlantic flyer.
The later volumes continue Mussolini’s story into the Second World War. In particular, the fourth volume, M. L'ora del destino, covers Italy’s entry into the conflict in June 1940 and follows the Fascist war through the fall of Mussolini’s regime on 25 July 1943. The final volume, M. La fine e il principio, continues through the German occupation, the Italian Social Republic, the Resistance and Mussolini’s death in 1945. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, these later wartime volumes have not yet been published in English.
Not sure if it is quite a biography as I haven’t thumbed through to see its structure, but I’ll be reading The Old Breed… The Complete Story Revealed. It is written by the son of Eugene Sledge who wrote the incredible With the Old Breed.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Ari wrote: "I would also like to suggest Antonio Scurati’s M: Son of the Century.[bookcover:M:..."
Great choice, Ari!
Some excellent books being mentioned for the August theme read!
Mike wrote: "I am going to read Admiral Canaris: How Hitler's Chief of Intelligence Betrayed the Nazis
"Mike - bad link takes you to a book about cemeteries
Tonight I’ve started –
Clem Attlee by Francis Beckett.In addition to his historic stint as British Prime Minister from 1945 until 1951, Attlee held important positions in the government during the war. Neville Chamberlain resigned after the Norwegian fiasco of 1940. A coalition government was formed under Churchill (Conservative) and Attlee (Labour). Attlee became Lord Privy Seal (essentially Minister without Portfolio). In 1942 he stepped up to become Britain’s first Deputy Prime Minister, and later also served as Dominions Secretary and Lord President of the Council. Only Churchill and Attlee served in the war cabinet from Chamberlain’s resignation until 1945. As Beckett and historian Robert Crowcroft have described the situation: Attlee ran the country, Churchill ran the war.
Manray9 wrote: "Tonight I’ve started – Clem Attlee by Francis Beckett.In addition to his historic stint as British Prime Minister from 1945 until 1951, Attlee..."
MR9, your book sounds like it should be quite an interesting account!
"Panzer Baron: The Military Exploits of General Hasso von Manteuffel" - Some family background:"The von Manteuffel family is one of the most ancient of the hereditary nobilities of Prussia, documentarily mentioned in the records of heraldry for the first time on November 14, 1287 in Pomerania. His well-known ancestors are: Otto van Manteuffel, Prime Minister of Prussia, 1850-1858, and Field Marshal Edwin von Manteuffel, once chief of the military cabinet under Kaiser Wilhelm I, and special emissary to St. Petersburg, Russia. After the Franco-Prussian War, 1870-1871, when in command of the southern army, he was governor of Alsace-Lorraine."
Panzer Baron: The Military Exploits of General Hasso von Manteuffel by Donald Grey Brownlow
"Panzer Baron: The Military Exploits of General Hasso von Manteuffel" - In the photo section covering Manteuffel's campaign in Russia during 1941 there is a picture of a T-34/85 with the caption; "Russian T-34 tank destroyed by von Manteuffel's advancing troops". I know it's only a minor thing, but it always annoys me when I come across a photo incorrectly captioned.The T-34/85:
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/so...
"Panzer Baron: The Military Exploits of General Hasso von Manteuffel" - A startling indication of how catastrophic German casualties were on the Eastern Front, when Manteffel's unit was transferred back to France:"In May, 1942, the Sixth Rifle Regiment was transferred to France. A year before, the Regiment had left Cologne for East Prussia in twelve transport trains. In 1942, one train afforded ample space for the survivors of the Russian campaign."
Panzer Baron: The Military Exploits of General Hasso von Manteuffel by Donald Grey Brownlow
'Aussie Rick' wrote: ""Panzer Baron: The Military Exploits of General Hasso von Manteuffel" - A startling indication of how catastrophic German casualties were on the Eastern Front, when Manteffel's unit was transferred..."Telling.
I completedAdmiral Canaris: How Hitler's Chief of Intelligence Betrayed the Nazis
This is a link to my review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I just finished
Admiral Canaris: How Hitler's Chief of Intelligence Betrayed the Nazis
This is a link to my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Brian wrote: "Mike wrote: "I am going to read Admiral Canaris: How Hitler's Chief of Intelligence Betrayed the Nazis[bookcover:Admiral Canaris: How Hitler's Chief of Intelligence Betrayed the Na..."
Not sure what happened with the original post. I finished the book and put a verified link in the comment.
Good review Mike. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the book with the rest of the group.
Panzer Baron: The Military Exploits of General Hasso von Manteuffel" - Major General von Manteuffel and his soldiers were involved in the heavy fighting around the Shitomir sector when he received a summons to report to Hitler:"In the middle of the counter-attack by the Seventh Panzer Division, planned by General Balck, Hitler ordered von Manteuffel to appear before him on Christmas. The Fuhrer asked the General to assume control of the strongest Panzer division in the German Army, the Grossdeutschland Division, and von Manteuffel requested that he not be assigned to his new post on January 1, 1944 as Hitler wished, but that he be allowed to complete the present counter-attack already in progress with the Seventh Panzer Division. His plea was accepted, and the Fuhrer said: 'I give you a Christmas present of one hundred tanks.' Manteuffel later said that it was more like fifty tanks, but they were sorely needed since the division was down to about ten tanks at the time."
Division Grossdeutschland:
https://warhistory.org/article/divisi...
Have my eye on this one:
Wielding the Trident: Admiral Raymond A. Spruance and America’s Victory in the Pacific Andrew K. BlackleyRead Buell's "The Quiet Warrior" back in '83 and probably will again.
'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I'm thinking of reading this book for the theme read; "Panzer Baron: The Military Exploits of General Hasso von Manteuffel" by Donald Grey Brownlow.[bookcover:Panzer Baron: The Military Exploits ..."
You have a copy? Was looking for one years ago, but the asking price was way out of my league.
Dipanjan wrote: "I would like to read the following book for the August themeRommel: The Desert Fox
"Hi Dipanjan. That is a good book, which I have read a couple of times. I also recommend this one on Rommel:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Enjoy!
Lawerence, I do indeed have a nice HB copy. The cover was torn by removalists last year when we downsized into our apartment but otherwise it's a very nice edition that took me some time to find.
Dipanjan wrote: "I would like to read the following book for the August themeRommel: The Desert Fox
"A good book, enjoy!
Lawrence wrote: "Have my eye on this one:[book:Wielding the Trident: Admiral Raymond A. Spruance and Ame..."That should be a fairly interesting book!
I'm starting this one today:
An Irresistible Force: Lieutenant Colonel Ben Vandervoort and the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry in World War II
Marc wrote: "I'm starting this one today: [book:An Irresistible Fo..."That should be quite an interesting read!
"Panzer Baron: The Military Exploits of General Hasso von Manteuffel":According to the author von Manteuffel liked to lead from the front which led to him suffering several wounds and the loss of four escort officers.
General Hasso von Manteuffel:
https://historynet.com/manteuffel-ger...
On the topic of Rommel, I read War of Shadows: Codebreakers, Spies, and the Secret Struggle to Drive the Nazis from the Middle East last week and didn't know that Italy/Germany were reading all of the USA's military reports for much of the early desert war. Really makes you wonder how much of the Rommel legend was formed by his military prowess and how much because he knew exactly where the british troops were, their relative strengths, etc.
Richard wrote: "On the topic of Rommel, I read War of Shadows: Codebreakers, Spies, and the Secret Struggle to Drive the Nazis from the Middle East last week and didn't know that Italy/Germany were..."He certainly had a good source of information, he called it "die gute Quelle," the good source! Here are two good articles on aspects of Rommel's intelligence sources that helped him win his battles:
Italy Once Stole Secret American Intelligence Codes Which Nearly Made Britain Lose WWII:
https://www.military.com/daily-news/i...
The Desert Fox and His Intercepts:
https://mwi.westpoint.edu/the-desert-...
I’m looking forward to starting this biography of Gen. DeGaulle this month. I absolutely loved reading his war memoirs last summer.
America's First Frogman: The Draper Kauffman StoryPretty much invented the, UDT and later the SEALS and was in the first group to 'enjoy' Hell week.
Thx Aussie Rick! That's exactly how it was called out in the book. The Italians had broken into our embassy (and others) and got the codes for American communications (for some codes) and both the Italians and Germans were able to read the American Colonel's reports about the British. I was not previously aware of this, as I've focused more on American military actions during the war.
Alan wrote: "I’m looking forward to starting this biography of Gen. DeGaulle this month. I absolutely l..."
I read that book, Alan. It was pretty good.
a funny note as i'm reading this biography of Admiral Nimitz, I'm amazed at how many times his airplane crashed. He went through several aviation accidents as CincPAC. Not sure I would just keep getting on planes, but he did!
Richard wrote: "a funny note as i'm reading this biography of Admiral Nimitz, I'm amazed at how many times his airplane crashed. He went through several aviation accidents as CincPAC. Not sure I would just keep ge..."Either very brave or not too bright :)
Finished the book Nimitz by Potter, E. B.(March 15, 2008) Paperback A great review of both Nimitz's life and his command during World War 2. Somewhat superficial on his tenure as CNO, but perhaps by page 600+ that's expected. I really enjoyed this book.
Richard wrote: "Finished the book Nimitz by Potter, E. B.(March 15, 2008) Paperback A great review of both Nimitz's life and his command during World War 2. Somewhat superficial on his tenure as C..."Good to hear, Richard, sounds like a book to keep an eye out for!
Picked up this one for the month:
The Man Called Brown Condor: The Forgotten History of an African American Fighter Pilot by Thomas E. Simmons
Mike wrote: "Picked up this one for the month:[book:The Man Called Brown Condor: The Forgotten Histo..."That should be an interesting read, Mike!
Some may find my newly released 2nd edition (expanded, unabridged) of The Star of Africa interesting. I have been gone from here for a long time, writing the books and working on film projects. Star of Africa is being turned into a feature film.
Colin wrote: "Some may find my newly released 2nd edition (expanded, unabridged) of The Star of Africa interesting. I have been gone from here for a long time, writing the books and working on film projects. Sta..."A great book indeed! Keep us all posted on the movie :)
The Star of Africa: The Story of Hans Marseille, the Rogue Luftwaffe Ace Who Dominated the WWII Skies by Colin D. Heaton
Finished Patton: Ordeal and Triumph by Ladislas Farago. I believe this was one of the books Coppola used for source material when he was writing the screenplay for the movie Patton.Lots of insights into Patton's personality, military tactics and the struggles he had with Eisenhower, Montgomery and others during the war.